Not all clubs hold their nerve in January

Deputy Editor, smh.com.au

Net investment ... England striker Darren Bent scores on his debut for Aston Villa. The club paid $38 million for him this month. Photo: AFP

Blood money normally refers to compensation paid by a murderer to the family of the victim. In Bulgaria this week, it took on a different meaning as scores of fans of Pirin Blagoevgrad - Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov's first club - offered to donate their own red stuff to pay off the team's mounting debts. Quite a gesture.

Such an act would likely be anathema to most fans of debt-ridden English Premier League sides, but with the January transfer period fast closing, supporters in England will nonetheless be demanding a different kind of injection of fresh blood into their teams.

The problem for clubs, though, is that January is not a buyers' market. Prices are blown out of proportion due to a lack of availability. There is little value to be had. And managers are wary because of it.

That's why a lot of clubs try to bring players in on loan - the financial risks are not as great, especially for teams threatened with relegation. Or they invest in young players, who will not lose value and do not cost much in wages.

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However, some clubs are desperate, such as Aston Villa, who agreed to pay up to £24 million ($38m) for Darren Bent because relegation would cost significantly more. And there are clubs with money to burn, such as Manchester City, who thought nothing of splashing out £27m on Edin Dzeko. These kinds of teams spend big in January. For others, the key is not to lose their nerve. They must get the balance right for their short and long-term goals.

Managers are scared to buy players from the second-tier Championship these days. They would rather look abroad, even though foreign players notoriously take longer to settle - a luxury clubs do not have at this time of year.

It amazes me, especially when I think of the calibre of some of the footballers who have come up through the lower leagues in years gone by. Ian Rush, Gary Lineker, Ian Wright and Stan Collymore spring to mind - all top class. And Adam Johnson now at City. He has proved an excellent buy. There is talent out there; it's just not being tapped.

David Moyes bucks the trend. He proved to be pretty astute when buying from the lower leagues, signing Tim Cahill and Joleon Lescott, among others, in his nine years at Everton. But his gamble on Leeds striker Jermaine Beckford has not paid off. Three goals in 18 league games is not good enough.

It has not helped that Louis Saha has been off form or that Yakubu was so woeful before being loaned out. But Moyes must take the blame for not signing a proven striker in the European summer. It was such an apparent flaw. Everton create plenty of chances, they just do not put them away. And now Moyes's team is going backwards because of it. He must bring a striker in.

Across Merseyside, Liverpool have had a £23m bid accepted for Ajax frontman Luis Suarez. They desperately needed quality back-up for Fernando Torres. Over recent seasons, they've had Nicolas Anelka, Craig Bellamy, Peter Crouch and Robbie Keane on their books. All they have had to support Torres recently has been David N'Gog. It has been shocking recruitment for a club of Liverpool's stature.

The Reds lead the chase for Blackpool midfielder Charlie Adam. This shows how far they have sunk. Adam is not the kind of player Liverpool fans will want at their club. They are used to picking up the likes of Xabi Alonso and Javier Mascherano, not a player who could not hold down a place at Glasgow Rangers.

Yes, Adam has been brilliant for the Seasiders, but you have to ask yourself, will Liverpool win the league next season with the Scotsman pulling the strings in midfield? I think not. That is what Liverpool fans expect from their team - to be challenging for the title - and that is what the management should expect, too. So why bother signing Adam? Liverpool need to aim much higher.

If they don't, United and Berbatov, who scored a hat-trick against the Reds earlier this season, will continue to leave them in their wake.

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